When you look at the rosters of major contenders, and realize the number of players that are coming back, you know that the next year’s list of players to watch is going to be jam-packed.
That’s the situation in Oakland County softball.
Defending Division 1 state champion South Lyon graduated four seniors, but returns the bulk of its starting lineup.
Semifinalist Farmington Hills Mercy graduated a couple of incredibly instrumental bats at the top of the order, but returns everybody else … and brought in one of the area’s best freshmen.
Lakeland and Walled Lake Northern return the vast majority of their lineups from teams that went toe-to-toe with South Lyon in the Lakes Valley Conference — and won their share.
Division 2 regional finalist Detroit Country Day lost just two players off last year’s roster.
And so on …
Which is reflected in this year’s list of top softball players.
It’s jam-packed with not only college-bound players, but players who have already proven themselves on the biggest stage.
Not only that, but there’s a huge crop of talented youngsters in the classes of 2024 and 2025 waiting to take their places on this list, or move up.
Here’s a look at the top 25 players to watch in Oakland County this spring, along with 50 more names to keep an eye on. For good measure, at the end, there’s a list of 10 key freshmen who are going to make noise in their first year on the diamond.
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1 Ava Bradshaw, P, South Lyon (2024)
D1 first-team all-state; STATE CHAMPS! Total Softball Player of the Year
2021 STATS: 24-4, 1.127 ERA, 329 K/51 BB, .140 BAA; .410 BA, 6 HRs, 30 RBI
2 Reganne Bennett, P/1B, Novi (2023) — South Carolina
D1 HM all-state
2021 STATS: .521 BA, 10 HR, 62 RBI; 1.57 ERA, 262 K IN 130.1 IP
3 Britain Beshears, IF/P, Walled Lake Central (2022) — Michigan State
D1 first-team all-state
2021 STATS: .472 BA, .528 OBP, 8 HRs
4 Keira Tolmie, C/IF, Clarkston (2023) —Central Michigan
2021 STATS: .391 BA, .481 OBP, 5 HRs
5 Kendall Spivey, 3B/1B, Farmington Hills Mercy (2022) — Villanova
D1 first-team all-state
STATS: .448 BA, 10 HRs, 48 RBI
6 Grace Walters, 3B, South Lyon (2023)
D1 first-team all-state
2021 STATS: .476 BA, 9 HRs, 46 RBI, .528 OBP
7 Brittani Mutter, P, Walled Lake Northern (2022) —Northwood
D1 first-team all-state
2021 STATS: 193 K in 157.1 IP, 1.30 ERA, .187 BAA, four no-hitters; .236 BA
8 Kaitlyn Pallozzi, P/1B, Farmington Hills Mercy (2025)
9 Caitllyn Mullins, P/OF, Walled Lake Northern (2022) — Western Michigan
2021 STATS: .384, 38 RBI; 1.60 ERA, 78K in 97.2 IP
10 Jordan Smith, C/1B, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (2022) — Central Michigan
D2 first-team all-state
2021 STATS: .545 BA, 19 HRs, 65 RBI
11 Lola Bagby, P, Detroit Country Day (2023)
D2 HM all-state
2021 STATS: 141.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 226 K; .254/.341/.380
12 Eliana Eiland, OF, Walled Lake Central (2022) — Grand Valley State
D1 first-team all-state
STATS: .549 BA, 11-2B, 4-3B, 2 HRs, 56 R
13 Asia Barbato, P/OF, Farmington Hills Mercy (2024)
2021 STATS: 19-2, 2.09 ERA, 208K in 134 IP; .357 BA
14 Taylor Behrendt, SS, Walled Lake Northern (2023)
D1 HM all-state
2021 STATS: .450 BA, .517 OBP
15 Rachel Cairo, SS, Southfield Christian (2023) — Central Michigan
2021 STATS: [no team]
16 Delaney Lis, P/1B, South Lyon East (2022) —Ashland
17 Summer Ambler, P/1B, Lakeland (2022) — Spring Arbor
18 Ella Cady, 1B, Clarkston (2023)
19 Sabrina Lee, P, Rochester Adams (2022)
2021 STATS: 18-7, three no-hitters; .438 BA, .563 OBP
20 Gemma Ugorowski, 2B, Rochester Adams (2022)
D1 HM all-state
2021 STATS: .454 BA, 38 RBI
21 Lauren Fox, 2B, Walled Lake Northern (2024)
D1 HM all-state
2021 STATS: .375 BA, .425 SLG
22 Izzy Chaput, OF, Farmington Hills Mercy (2023)
2021 STATS: .435 BA, 30 RBI
23 Micah Tison, C/SS, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (2022)
2021 STATS: .750 BA, 33 RBI, 41 SB
24 Storm Kentros, C, Detroit Country Day (2024)
2021 STATS: .441/.495/.710
25 (tie) Ella McDonald, CF, Rochester Adams (2023) —Ferris State
2021 STATS: .462 BA, .550 OBP, 2 HRs
25 (tie) Kayla Ziemke, P, Troy (2022)
25 (tie) Ally Sharnowski, CF/UT, Novi (2022)
2021 STATS: .500 BA, 48 runs scored, 3 HRs in one game
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The next 50 to know (in alphabetical order)
Lainey Abbott, 3B, Madison Heights Lamphere (2022)
Sage Allen, P, Birmingham Seaholm (2024)
Maggie Binkowski, RF, Bloomfield Hills (2022)
Riley Bohannon, 1B, Farmington (2024)
Olivia Cervone, 1B/RF, Rochester (2023)
Julia Dahlerup, P/OF/1B, Troy Athens (2022)
Mia Dionisio, 1B, Madison Heights Lamphere (2022)
Lindsey Dorfman, C, North Farmington (2024)
Cece Dudek, OF, South Lyon (2023)
Julia Duncan, 2B/P, South Lyon (2022)
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Reagen Engel, 3B, Rochester (2022)
Taryn Fuller, 2B, Farmington (2022)
Abby Franey, P, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (2024)
Gracie Glossinger, C, Lakeland (2022)
Anna Goller, UT, Royal Oak Shrine (2022)
Payton Grange, SS, Lakeland (2022) — Spring Arbor
Hannah Hern, SS, Troy (2024)
Emily Johnson, OF, South Lyon (2023)
Leah Lafleur, P/SS, Ortonville Brandon (2022)
Gage Lambert, SS, Farmington Hills Mercy (2023)
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Anna Lassan, P/IF, South Lyon East (2024)
Madelaine Laviolette, P, Stoney Creek (2023)
Claire Loveland, IF/OF, South Lyon East (2023)
Ava MacNeill, SS, Clawson (2022)
Grace Main, P, Bloomfield Hills (2024)
Marisa Mazoway, 1B, Walled Lake Northern (2022)
Madison McKenzie, C, South Lyon (2022)
Taylor Mitchell, CF, Milford (2022)
Kiana Morgan, C, Walled Lake Northern (2022)
Shannon Mosesso, P/1B, Lake Orion (2022)
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Christa Munn, C, Stoney Creek (2024)
Abby Myren, C, Clawson (2022)
Libby Myren, P, Clawson (2022)
Kristina Najor, CF, Madison Heights Lamphere (2022)
Sophia Paluk, P/1B, Farmington Hills Mercy (2024)
Danielle Pettaway, 3B, Farmington (2022)
Maddie Pope, CF, Farmington (2024)
Sophia Propps, 3B, South Lyon East (2023)
Sidrah Rasheed, CF, Bloomfield Hills (2023)
Brooke Schoenberg, IF, Lake Orion (2022)
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Maddie Schurman, CF, Rochester (2022)
Brooke Skiba, SS, Detroit Country Day (2024)
Stephanie Stephens, 2B, Stoney Creek (2022)
Maggie Stout, C, Troy (2023)
Emma Tarnowsky, SS, Waterford Mott (2022)
Kayla Turmell, IF/C, Walled Lake Northern (2024)
Charlie Verner, CF, Clawson (2022)
Christina Voight, DP, Birmingham Seaholm (2023)
Caitlin Warner, CF, Troy (2023)
Nevaeh Wing, 2B, Detroit Country Day (2024)
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Ten more freshmen to know:
Maddy Anson, P, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (2025)
Soseh Broglin, P, Wixom St. Catherine (2025)
Kylie Hinderliter, IF, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (2025)
Lilley Lutzka, SS, Rochester Adams (2025)
Izzy Nooe, OF, South Lyon (2025)
Chloe Paryaski, C, Southfield Christian (2025)
Sophia Paryaski, P, Southfield Christian (2025)
Hannah Scripture, 1B/C, Milford (2025)
Mia Tribul, SS, Orchard Lake Șt. Mary’s (2025)
Emma Weber, SS, Birmingham Seaholm (2025)
